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LUBBOCK — A lanky, white pit bull’s tail-wags of happiness Tuesday at Lubbock’s Animal Shelter seemed to make a distant memory of the whimpers of pain witnesses said they heard after much of his ears were cut off and he was left to bleed in the trunk of a car this summer in Central Lubbock.

“He’s so young he probably doesn’t even remember what happened to him,” Animal Shelter Supervisor Shawn Byrd said as he petted the puppy named Major in his lap Tuesday afternoon.

The puppy, about 4 to 5 months old, now is being regularly walked and petted by Animal Shelter staff even as he remains evidence in the case against his owner, 30-year-old Juan Chavira, who faces a state felony charge of cruelty to an animal after police suspect he cut off much of the puppy’s ears and attempted to sew the remnants to the back of its head.

The Amarillo resident was charged with causing serious damage to the puppy after, police say, witnesses approached Chavira upon hearing the cries of pain from his trunk Aug. 19 in the 1700 block of Avenue R, according to Chavira’s Lubbock County felony warrant released Monday.

His case will go to a Lubbock County grand jury Tuesday.

The warrant states Chavira was visiting his girlfriend in Lubbock when witnesses called police saying Chavira revealed “a dog that appears to have been ‘butchered’ ” in the trunk of his Lincoln Town Car.

Police arrived to find the puppy, covered in blood, inside Chavira’s home. Chavira insisted he did not damage the animal, telling police he obtained the dog the night before from a “black ‘crackhead’ male” who approached his car wanting to sell the dog for $20, according to the warrant.

Chavira told police he did not want the dog, but paid the man $20 and took the dog because he wanted to help the distressed animal. He said he planned to take the dog to a veterinarian.

But police arrested Chavira after interviewing witnesses, believing Chavira and his girlfriend had the dog for “a couple of weeks.”

Lubbock police Sgt. Jonathan Stewart was not available for comment Tuesday.

Phone numbers for Chavira and his girlfriend, released in the warrant, prompted disconnection signals when the Avalanche-Journal called Monday and Tuesday.

Chavira’s mother, a Hereford resident listed in jail records as Chavira’s emergency contact, did not return an A-J phone call for comment Tuesday.

Michael Salazar, listed as a resident of the apartment Chavira was visiting, said Chavira is his sister’s boyfriend and had been visiting Lubbock on Aug. 19 and the night before.

“I didn’t know anything about the dog until that morning,” Salazar said, adding he was surprised when police arrived to arrest the 30-year-old.

He believes Chavira kept the dog in the vehicle overnight but does not know when Chavira is suspected of cutting off its ears.

“He left it in there because he didn’t want to bring it upstairs because I don’t like animals,” Salazar said.

Byrd said Animal Shelter staff and a veterinarian were able to mend and disinfect the dog’s wounds, adding the only damage was to external parts of the dog’s ears.

He said the damage to the puppy’s ears is similar to the clipping technique many dog fighters use to trim excess ear material to assist in fights.

“Normally when you see this it’s for fighting,” Byrd said. “We don’t know if that’s the case here. But that’s normally what we see.”

Salazar said he didn’t know Chavira to be a dog fighter.

Byrd said the puppy is in good spirits and interacting well with people.

After the law enforcement investigation and trial are over, Major is expected to be given away for adoption.

“But we want to find a good home for him because he’s already been through enough as it is,” Byrd said.

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Folks here is a horrific but perfect example of what Multiculturalism does to a nation! We Americans find this horrible, terrible and inhumane while other nations find this perfectly normal ? Whether it be dog fighting, dog mutilation, chicken fighting or even Voo Doo, many nations finds animals cruelty acceptable. These same people are then allowed to stay here out of some sort of lame humanity ? I could go a step further and include rape incest and adultery to these Multicultural traits but then you will just turn your head and hand tight to your asinine humanity and believe I am wrong. I assure you, I am not wrong. Some of the cruelest people on earth originate from countries we allow free crossing into America.

Charles, Are you not aware that all races have good and bad people. Let me get this strait, only hispanics are cruel to animals, rape family members,and are adulterers??? Just because you so passionately think hispanics are the downfall of American culture doesnt mean you are right, as you stated. I dont know how many times I have seen horses penned up in 6' x 6' pens for 10-12 month at a time with minimal exercise and feed. Is that acceptable to you? Just because some white dude thinks they are a cowboy, doesnt mean they have any business owning horses on a shoe string budget. Same goes for dogs. I have seen a lot of white folks who get 2-3 dogs raise them as a puppy and then tie them to a tree for life, is that acceptabel too??? Dont think I am taking sides because I am white. Also if you have such a problem with hispanics then what the hell are you doing living in Texas. Maybe if you open you eyes and our mind you might be surprised at what embracing multiculturalism could do to your outlook.

First of all how can someone do that to a living breathing thing.I have been told they are just stupid animals,they feel and hurt just like us humans.All they want to do is please and love someone they can trust.Puppies are like little kids they are to trusting and want attention and unconditional love.I hope they make an example out of this but they didn't Michael Vick the big football star so why should they anyone else.PETA needs to get involved in this one they like to stick their nose in on other business.Lets hope the puppy finds a long term home that will be gentle and loving.The people involved should be ashamed of themselves.How would they like it if someone cut off body parts without anethesia?I just can't imagine how they could stand there it's sick and cruel.

Get this straight - I said " Nations & Multiculturalism " and I mean other Nations Multiculturalism. Please, do not put words in my mouth based on your inability to read properly!

Multiculturalism, in every form, needs to be addressed in American! Are we going to accept these rituals, ignore these rituals based on some lame humanitarian principle? I never said Hispanic ! They are not the only Nation bringing illegal, cruel and satanic rituals into our Great Sovereign Nation! Sharia Law, Female Curcum$ion and Honor Killings are not Hispanic Rituals but they are here, now in America !

Folks, get to know your cultures ! Realize who your inviting into you back yard ! Just because your an honorable American does not make your neighbor and their Culture honorable and righteous !

I don't believe that charlesstephens was speaking about race at all, he was speaking of the differences in culture, and 'culture' does not mean 'race'. By jumping to that conclusion you are exhibiting the exact type of closed-mindedness he was referencing.

On another note, I realize the shelter has to take care of the animal, as he is evidence in a trial. What's sad, is that I'm pretty sure that as soon as the trial is over, had this happened in Amarillo, the dog would be put down. Simply because he's a pit.

There are things acceptable in some cultures that are not acceptable in others. Charles did NOT point out any particular race, but made a general statement.

That being said, I really hope this guy does some time for this. I know ear cropping is done in many breeds such as Great Danes, Boxers, etc., but those are done under the care of a vet. What this guy did is just plain cruel.

Sorry Charles I didnt think we were getting off on some tangenet unrelated to the article. My statement was mainly to point out that animal cruelty is perpetrated by all races. A lot of times people who think that they are great owners are in fact cruel to their animals. Such as kenneling dogs up and never giving them social interaction, penning up livestock for months on end, or chaining a dog to tree.

Apparently I read a different article than Charles did as this has nothing to do with female circumcision, Sharia law, honor killings, or satanic rituals (Please Charles, edify us on just which "culture" is solely responsible for satanic rituals? Which "culture" does this belong to?), and other multicultural ills foisted upon us.
Charles has spammed numerous articles with this same wayward tangent that is so blatantly racist that it cannot even warrant a giggle at his sheer stupidity but rather should garner the derision of rational people in any society.
Not only is this off topic but this is patently disgusting even for Charles.
Thank goodness decent people are attending to this animal as he deserves far better treatment than he has received thus far.

Regarding Chuckles, I read his "back story" that had been previously published quite some time ago in the AGN. By the way, I would not have known (or cared) to google it had Charles not mentioned it himself. With that being said, I now understand his commentary within the context of his personal history and experiences.

Remember the egg frying anti-drug campaign from years ago? They were correct.